How Baby

You know that trope where two people are always fighting and acting like they don’t care about each other, but when someone else insults one of them, the other jumps to their defense? Like, you can’t say that; only I can say that! That’s MY idiot! Get your own!

Sometimes being a parent – the identity – feels like that. Like, between all the in-fighting and the judgement from childfree people and the great life upheaval and the ways that our society is still, somehow, structured to make raising a family difficult as hell, it’s like… no, man, you’re not allowed to pile on unless you’re on the inside, with me, and you Understand. Only fellow prisoners can trade gallows humour.

Which is why it can be tricky, as someone who walks around in the world looking like, uh, me, with no kid in tow, to somehow flag that, yes, I am also a parent! I am an ally! I think your kids are great and I understand that you’re under a lot of stress being out with them in public! I am completely unbothered by their tantrum, so go ahead and let it ride!

…and sometimes I get into situations like this, true story, and I probably shouldn’t be allowed to talk to strangers any more. 😀

(My hair is blue now! I mean, not like my hair was pink for a while, there, but blue is too cool to not stick in my autobio comic, soooooooooo…)

Today’s comic features a cameo from patron Malyssa! Thank you so much for being a patron!

You may have noticed that How Baby is completely ad-free — that’s because of kind patrons like Malyssa who give a small monthly donation to help keep the lights on. In return, patrons get comics sent to their email (Motherlover, too!), rewards based on their tier of support, priority in commissions, and whatever other fun things I send out as patron exclusives. If you’re able, please consider pitching in a dollar or so a month to keep gas in the comic tank!